At Bespoke Dental and Implant Clinic, we want your teeth to be the healthiest they can be, especially as there are links between good oral health and good physical health. Keep your teeth healthy and you are more likely to have a healthier lifestyle and keep the rest of your body in good health.
With good habits and regular check-ups, you can ensure your teeth are healthy and prevent the need for dental treatments. We’re sharing our top tips on how to keep your teeth healthy at home and at the dentist.
Reduce the amount of sugary and acid-rich foods
Cutting down on sugary or acid-rich foods or, even better, cutting them out completely, will do wonders for the health of your teeth. With sugary foods, the problem comes from bacteria that cause tooth decay. There are bacteria in every mouth, which isn’t usually a problem as most are harmless. However, the bacteria, or plaque, that aren’t harmless love the sugar found in sugary foods like ice cream, cookies, sweets, bread, and more.
When we eat those foods, and the sugar clings to our teeth, it gives the bacteria the chance to stick to the teeth and cause tooth decay. When it comes to acid-rich foods, the problem is with the food itself. The acid in these foods can wear enamel down.
Drink a lot of water
Drinking water is proven to be good for your teeth and gums because it helps keep your mouth clean. A clean mouth means that plaque doesn’t have the chance to build on the teeth. Drinking juice, sports drinks, and fizzy drinks after eating can help you wash down food at mealtimes, but they all leave sugar behind on teeth.
This sugar can cause bacteria build-up, which wears away enamel, leading to tooth decay and the need for dental crowns or veneers. When you drink water instead, it washes away the food left on your teeth and the residue that bacteria can cling to. It also dilutes any acid that remains on your teeth, which is why you still need to brush regularly. I
f your area adds fluoride to its water supply, you will also benefit, as fluoride helps build stronger teeth and bones.
Take the time to brush your teeth
Brushing regularly will always be the most crucial step in keeping your teeth healthy and strong. You should brush your teeth twice a day, more if you have a particularly acid-rich diet or have braces. Brushing your teeth removes the plaque, or bacteria, that stays on your teeth.
However, it’s not just brushing that’s important; you also need to ensure you have the right tools for the job. You will require a toothbrush with the correct strength bristles for your teeth, preferably soft bristles, so they can bend and get under your gums without damaging them.
What’s more, you need to ensure your brush is clean. The bacteria you remove from your teeth can build up on the bristles if you don’t keep it clean, and you will smear the bacteria over your mouth instead of removing it. Store your brush in an upright position after brushing and replace it every three months, at least.
Flossing or using dental tape
Flossing helps remove up to 40% of the plaque on your teeth. The tooth has five surfaces, and by not flossing or using dental tape, you will miss two of these. Flossing can also help avoid issues such as gingivitis, a gum disease that causes gums to bleed easily and become swollen.
Never ignoring warning signs
If you are experiencing sensitive teeth, bad breath, toothache, pain in the mouth or gums when biting, pain when eating foods that are hot or cold, dry mouth or can see holes in your teeth (as well as white spots), you need to make an appointment to see your dentist.
These are all warning signs of tooth decay and other oral health issues, and ignoring them will ultimately be more harmful to your teeth. The quicker you can see a dentist, the better. These issues can lead to tooth decay and gum disease and need treatment. If you don’t book an appointment to see your dentist, you could end up in severe pain, stopping you from working, sleeping and eating, and resulting in the need to see an emergency dentist.
Visiting your hygienist and dentist regularly
Ultimately, how to keep your teeth healthy is by doing all of the above and getting clarification that everything is all right from your dentist. You must visit your dentist twice a year so they can give you a check-up. Dentists can check for early signs of cavities, check your gums are healthy and examine areas you cannot investigate yourself, such as the throat, tongue and neck, to see signs of other oral health issues. Many dentists will also provide professional teeth clean services so you can ensure that your teeth are cleaned to the highest standard.
Bespoke Dental & Implant Clinic are a private dentist in Manchester who can cater for all treatments and regular examinations of your teeth. If you have had problems with tooth decay in the past, you may be struggling with discolouration of the teeth or gaps where you have had to have teeth removed. As smile stylists in Manchester, we can help restore your smile to what it once was. We can discuss a range of treatments with you, so speak to us today.